Will and I are normally don't find ourselves in Midtown, but not too long ago a dear friend of mine that works in Midtown, had invited me out to have dinner with him and to bring Will along too.

The three of us had dinner at Ise Menkui-tei. It's quite spacious inside especially for a ramen spot. I like that it's warm and bright inside, felt so cozy inside. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive.

So we started off with two appetizers -

We started off with the Pork Gyozas which seemed quite small compared to it's average size that I have had at other ramen/Japanese restaurants. It was moist and cooked just right. I kind of wished there was a slight crunch to the bottom part of the gyozas.

I was craving for a Grilled Squid for a long time and coincidentally this was on the menu so I ordered it. First of all, love the presentation because it's so simple yet pleasantly appealing. The grilled squ…

So, I am pretty sure by now that you all know Will and I love Vietnamese food. We've recently tried a new Vietnamese restaurant actually in Chinatown. The reason that we tried it is not only because we were hungry or that we wanted Vietnamese food, but mostly because I read an in-depth and great review of Pho Vietnam 87 on Eater NY. The beautiful photos and descriptions were convincing enough to try.

So I have this food bucket list and one of the items I've been wanting to try is Banh Xeo. It is a savory, Vietnamese pancake. When it arrived, it literally looked like a giant omelet. Inside was a combination of ground pork and shrimp and also beansprouts. It was pan-fried to sizzling crispness.

Will and I weren't quite sure how to begin eating the Banh Xeo, but somehow we figured our own way. We wrapped a small piece of the Banh Xeo in the lettuce that was provided and dipped it in the sweet fish sauce and ju…

A month ago, Will and I went out with our friends to celebrate our friend Victor's birthday. We made reservation at Maharlika and man I was pumped up and so excited to try Maharlika because it's one of the well-known Filipino restaurants in NYC and I've heard their spam fries are to die for. Yes, I said spam fries.

The decor is chic. I really liked the ambiance here. It's dim lit, trendy, laid back, and relaxing. Service is quick and on point, and the food... well it was the best part.

Our dinner began with a free small plate of Chiccaron (chicken rinds) with a vinegar sauce accompanied by very hot chili's. It was crispy and delicious and everything you would imagine if the Phillipines made an amuse bouche.

I was told by my colleague that the spam fries at Maharlika were bomb, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity. My friends and I ordered it and loved it! It had a nice crispness and the juices and fat f…

Grand Bo Ky
216 Grand Street New York, NY 10013
212.219.9228
After trying out Bo Ky on Bayard Street, my boyfriend decided to take me to the one on Grand street. This location is a lot cleaner and brighter than the other location. The service is even a lot better.
Will ordered the country duck with flat noodles and mushrooms.

The broth was really tasty, but definitely looked really oily compared to the noodle soups we had the other location.

I ordered the Wonton Noodle Soup which looked very oily, but the broth was really savory and delicious. The wontons were meaty and delicious. The noodles were cooked to al dente.
The service is a lot better at Grand Bo Ky than the one on Bayard Street. The staff was a lot friendlier here too. The noodles were delicious, but the oily broth was a little eh... I would like to give this restaurant another chance and maybe try one of their rice dishes instead.

On our last day of our Labor Day Weekend trip in Ocean City we made one final food stop at Belly Busters.

It's a one of a kind and interesting seafood establishment nearby the beach. There is indoor and outdoor dining. It was crowded, humid, and hot inside the restaurant so we ate outdoors, but even outdoors was hot.

Most of us ordered the seafood platter but with different sides.

The conch fritters were fried and crispy on the outside, but I didn't quite enjoy it because it didn't have much of a taste or flavor in it.

So as I said most of us ordered the seafood platter which consisted of fried fish, clamp strips,crab cake, and fried shrimp. Will and I ordered two sides - fries and cole slaw. The seafood platter also came with two dipping sauces - cocktail sauce for the shrimp and tartar sauce.

I wasn't a fan of the clam strips. The crab cake was moist, delicious, and up to par. The fried shrimp and f…